WEST Somerset Labour Party is campaigning to save the area’s children’s centres and is encouraging parents, children – and teddies – to form a protective ring around Alcombe Children’s Centre on Tuesday.
Kathrine See, secretary of the group, is also addressing Somerset County Council’s scrutiny committee today (Friday) to appeal for a fairer consultation about the proposed closures and more face to face consultation sessions.
“There is so much evidence that we need to invest in children as early as possible,” she said.
“Somerset County Cllr Frances Nicholson speaks out about low levels of social mobility but with the other hand the council is taking away services from our youngest and most vulnerable families.
“As a mum of four who has used the centres and found them very helpful, and as a woman who has previously suffered from postnatal depression, I fully understand the true value of these centres.
Dispersed services operating from village halls and the suggested online and text support is a very poor substitute for a purpose built accessible hub of information, activities and support for local families,” said Kathrine.
She added that the nurseries that operate from the children’s centres are not currently under threat.
Somerset County Council is currently consulting over proposals for changes in which West Somerset would see the services at Alcombe and Watchet’s Sure Start Children’s Centres being provided instead in community venues, people’s homes and online.
Under the proposals, Williton Children’s Centre would become a family centre and hub for services and co-ordination, while Dulverton Children’s Centre is ‘de-designated’ already and is used for additional early years places in the primary school.
Now the West Somerset Labour Party has launched a campaign to encourage people to make their views known.
It will hold an event at Alcombe Children’s Centre this Tuesday at 11am and is hoping parents, children and teddy bears will help them form a protective ring around the centre to get a visual “hands off” message across.
“This is the first part of our campaign and we’re hoping there will be a big human and teddy bear ring,” said Kathrine.
The organisation is also appealing to the council to make consultation over the proposed changes fairer, with more face to face sessions and less leading questions online.
“The public consultation last week at The Hub in Minehead was so poorly publicised people didn’t even know it was happening, and that was the only face to face consultation for West Somerset,” she said.
“It was held from 10.30am to 6.30pm which means most working parents were excluded from having their voices heard, while the online questions are very leading and direct people to respond the way the council wants.
“Any cut in our children’s services is extremely short sighted. We will be actively campaigning to save the children’s centres and we invite the community to join us.”
Kathrine is also urging concerned residents to write to the county council and their local MP.
The consultation is open until December 1 and the questionnaire is online at somerset.gov.uk/familysupportandchildrenscentres and available in children’s centres.
Article originally appeared on West Somerset Free Press
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